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Chicken Fajitas Recipe (30 Minute Meal)

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This Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe is loaded with juicy chicken, crisp bell peppers, and sweet onions tossed in a dynamite homemade fajita seasoning mixture. Fajitas with chicken are a great 30-minute meal to add to your meal plan.

Chicken Fajitas

Mexican chicken fajitas are a staple in my home. They’re quick, inexpensive, and adaptable to dietary needs. Hailing from San Diego, I load these Mexican chicken fajitas up with all the classic fajita toppings, stuff them into warm homemade flour tortillas, and finish them with fresh lime juice and guacamole.

Keep reading for more serving and topping ideas!

Fajita Seasoning

This homemade seasoning for chicken fajitas is simple and much better than the store-bought versions, loaded with additives. Bonus – it only requires a few staple spices.

I use and recommend a dry homemade fajita spice mix vs. a a wet chicken fajita marinade when making chicken with fajita seasoning. I’ve tested both methods, and the bold spices don’t need time to permeate the chicken meat to deliver the desired flavor.

You can use the same spice mix to make steak fajitas or shrimp fajitas! It doesn’t just work on chicken recipes.

Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs

You can use chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe, depending on your preference or what you have in the refrigerator. The cooking time will just elongate slightly with the thighs unless, of course, you’re using super-thick breasts.

For 15 years, I sliced the chicken before cooking. After extensive testing, I now find it best to slice after cooking, not before. The meat is left much more juicy and tender. This applies to both cuts of chicken.

How to Make Chicken Fajitas

Here’s a quick guide showing “how to make fajitas”. The full steps are in the recipe card below.

Season the Chicken: Trim the chicken and coat with the fajita spice mix.

Sear the Chicken: Place the seasoned chicken in a preheated cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook for approximately 7-8 minutes per side. The total time depends on how thick your chicken is.

Two cooked chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet.

Prep the Vegetables: Cut the vegetables into thin strips while the chicken cooks. I usually practice mise-en-place, but this is one of the rare times you’ll have ample time to cut while cooking is already in progress.

Cook the Vegetables: While the chicken rests, add the sliced veggies to the cast iron skillet and cook until soft.

Mix and Serve: Cut the chicken and add the sliced chicken back to the skillet. Mix and serve!

Serving Ideas

You can serve Mexican recipes in several ways, and chicken fajitas are no different. Here are my favorite ways to serve them:

Tortilla – The classic way to serve fajitas….inside flour or corn tortillas.
Fajita Bowl – serve over Mexican Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, or Refried Beans.
Fajita Salad – serve it over lettuce and top with your favorite salad dressing or sauce.
Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wraps – forgo the tortillas and stuff them into butter lettuce for a lower-carb and calorie meal.
By Itself! Just fill up a bowl with the chicken and veggies! It tastes amazing without the other accoutrements.

Fajita Toppings

There are so many Chicken Fajita Toppings to choose from! Some of my favorites are guacamole, Homemade Salsa, pico de gallo, pickled peppers, sour cream, and cheese.

Variations and Substitutions

Store-Bought Taco Seasoning: While I highly recommend using my homemade version, go ahead and use that package of store-bought spices you might have on hand.

Shredded Chicken: To make shredded chicken fajitas, shred the cooked chicken with two forks before loading up the tortillas. No additional steps are required.

Vegetables: Add more veggies to increase the nutritional value or make vegetarian fajitas. Great vegetable options to add are mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, and avocado slices.

Cut peppers and onions on a black cutting board.

Cooking Tips and Storage

Try using a large cast iron skillet for this skillet chicken fajitas recipe instead of a non-stick pan. You won’t get the nice sear and edges if you use a non-stick pan, but it won’t be the end of the world.
Cooking Oil – I recommend using avocado, vegetable, or canola oil to grease the skillet since olive oil has a lower smoke point.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Use leftovers to throw into a Cheese Quesadilla.

Drink Pairings

Kick back with a plate of fajitas and a cold glass of booze! Here are my drink recommendations for this chicken fajita recipe:

Wine- Crips and light Sauvignon Blanc or Albarino.
Cocktails- Margarita
Beer- Michelada, Dos Equis Ambar, Negra Modelo, Corona or a Citrus Pale Ale.

This recipe was originally posted in January 2020, but I updated it in August 2024 with new photos and additional text.

Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4 People

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Darcey Olson

Cost: $10

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Equipment

Ingredients

FAJITA SEASONING MIX

½ tbsp chili powder
½ tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp Mexican oregano
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper

CHICKEN FAJITAS

2-3 large chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
2 large bell peppers, cut into 1/4″ strips
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/4″ strips
1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

Preheat a cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
In a small bowl, add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. Use a meat mallet to pound the breasts to an even 1/2″ thickness.
Generously coat both sides of the chicken with the fajitas seasoning mix. Transfer to the preheated skillet and cook for 7-8 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
While the chicken is cooking, slice the peppers and onions.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. While resting, add the remaining vegetable oil to the skillet along with the peppers and onions. Cook until softened (approx. 4-5 min). While the vegetables are cooking, slice the chicken.
Add the chicken back to the pan, squeeze a lime wedge over the top and toss with the cooked peppers and onions.
Serve with your desired toppings and enjoy.

Nutrition

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Darcey Olson

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